2025 July in Review - Akron Open Singles Championships!
- D.F.O. Editorial Staff
- Jul 12
- 4 min read
July is hot, hot, hot ... and that's just talking 3.0 tennis!
First off, the granddaddy (or mommy) 3.0 event of them all, the 21st Annual Akron Open takes place during the hot, hot month of July, no doubt the biggest tennis event IN THE ENTIRE WORLD! WE'RE LOOKING AT YOU WIMBLEDON!
Second, the USTA Spring season begins to wrap up, meaning playoff positioning is set as the 3.0 clubs in all of O-H-I-O get ready for the August playoffs!
Third, with the season winding down, that means we here at D.F.O. have our work cut out for us to determine who is in the running for coveted almost imaginary awards like 3.0er of the Year, Singles Player of the Year, Captain of the Year, and Special 3.0er of the Year!
As such, we'll start our July in Review posts with the Akron Open Singles Championships, which took place the first week of July. Then we'll follow that amazing post with a look at the Akron Open Doubles Championships, which takes place the third week of July. Finally, with most of the USTA NEO, NWO, and OHVA leagues wrapped up - or approaching wrap up status - we'll take a look at who is in the running for our coveted post-season awards!
GET PUMPED!
Akron Open Singles Championships
With well over 20 entries - but only 16 accepted! - this tournament would have it all ... except a repeat champion! That's right, 2024 Akron Open singles champ, Chris, was sitting this one out, but Quy, last year's Vice-Champion was back! Not only that, but Michigan and West Virginia were represented as well, meaning this was the biggest event IN THE ENTIRE TRI-STATE AREA!
In the end it was two self-rated newbies, unattached to any club, that would take the day ... but which one? AND WHICH DAY?!
Click the Links Below to Read about the 21st Annual Akron Open!
The 16 player draw got off to a fast start, mostly thanks to one of the participants forgetting to show up (better luck next time, Thomas!) but also due to the one-set take all format at the most prestigious of all clubs, the Towpath Tennis Center!
At the top of the bracket, Dilshod, entering his first ever event, enjoyed a hard-fought* walkover as Thomas was a no-show while CVAC's Nagaraju enjoyed an early victory over one of the King's of Mayfield Village Racquet Club, Matthew. Meanwhile, tournament tested Mark of Paramount Westlake, in his third singles event this 3.0 tournament season and in his fourth straight Akron Open, enjoyed an overtime 7-5 win over Towpath's very own tournament rookie Mike. Towpath's home crowd wouldn't be disappointed, though, as Diego, winner of the 2025 Towpath Doubles event, enjoyed another Towpath win, this time over rookie Isaiah! Diego would take that winning feeling into the Quarterfinals with a narrow 6-4 victory over Mark but would eventually fall in the Semifinals to Dilshod, who rested up, had enjoyed a victory over Nagaraju. As such, tournament singles rookie Dilshod had entered the Finals in his first ever event!
At the bottom of the bracket, self-rated rookie Kyle, in his second event, survived an opening Round of 16 scare versus Western Reserve's Leon while Cleveland Racquet Club's Jeff, utilizing his tournament experience in his second event of the season, took out Akron's second favorite son, Horacio to advance to the Quarters.
In the bottom-bottom of the bracket, it was an out-of-town special as West Virginia's David, the 2024 Green Open Consolation Champion, fell to Michigan's Michael, a National Qualifier who had gone 4-1 and advanced to the Semifinals earlier in April! Meanwhile, 2024 Akron Open Vice-Champion Quy, who had made it to Nationals the same year for Michigan, eeked out a tiebreak win over Cleveland Skating Club veteran Jack, who did quite well in his first ever tournament! The returning Vice-Champ, though, fell to his former Michigan brother (we're assuming all Michigander's are related) in the Quarters but the emotional energy required for such a much obviously drained the Wolverine-lover, and he fell in the Semifinals to the beastly Kyle.
Thus the stage was set as two unattached, lone-wolf 3.0ers were looking for their first tournament hardware! Meanwhile, in the Consolation Bracket, CSC's Jack enjoyed his first 3.0 tournament recognition (so much recognition!) going 3-0 against David, Leon, and Mike to earn ... RECOGNITION! West Virginia, as it turned out, also earned RECOGNITION as Mike took out hometown favorite Diego to bring home something better than a trophy to his native West Virginia ... RECOGNITION! (Also, there's no trophy for third place, hence the focus on something better ... i.e., RECOGNITION!)
Back to the finals, tournament-rated Dilshod and self-rated Kyle went back-and-forth over the course of 10 agonizing games. No doubt already physically and emotionally exhausted entering their fourth match of the day, these two warriors of the 3.0 courts gave as good as they got! In the end, however, there can be only one, and that one was ... Kyle!
Congrats to all the 3.0 singles tournament entries as each and every participant earned at least one win (other than poor Thomas who forgot to show up), showing this may have been one of the most evenly matched Akron Open Singles Championships in recent memory!
Comments